Welcome to Tier 4 Kidderminster Harriers Women!

Photography by Paul Hickey

After an impressive season which has seen them claim a league and county cup double, Kidderminster Harriers Women are now Tier 4 bound. Under the leadership of former Stourbridge Women Head Coach Andy Fisher, the Harriers are undoubtedly a team to keep an eye on for the upcoming season. Read on to find out all the details of their outstanding title-winning season in the West Midlands Regional Women’s Football League.

League form

In a tightly-contested league, it is Kidderminster’s consistency which saw them claim the title on the final league day. Across 22 league fixtures, the Harriers won 19, drew 1 and only suffered 2 league defeats. Their goal difference of 53 was the best tally in the league - something that can be partly attributed to their incredible defensive record which only saw them concede 15 goals across the entire league campaign.

The side’s home form has been particularly impressive, as they claimed victory in every single league game and only conceded 3 goals across 11 games. Their prolific front line has seen them record some big victories such as their 7-0 thrashing against Solihull Sporting Women and their 5-0 victory against Alvechurch FC Women. However, they have also shown their ability to compete against the top sides in their league as shown through their 2-1 victory against 2nd placed Lye Town Ladies and 3-0 win against Shifnal Town FC Ladies who finished 3rd.

Cup form

As well as securing the league title, this season saw Harriers do the double after their victory in the Worcestershire County Cup Final. Their semi-final saw them pitted against Tier 4 side Worcester City Women FC and a 2-1 victory saw them book their place in the final. They then beat Worcester City Women FC’s reserve side with an impressive 6-0 victory in the final.

As well as that, they also had an FA Cup run to remember, which saw them reach the 3rd round proper. One particularly memorable moment was their 2nd Round Proper clash which pitted manager Andy Fisher against his old side, Tier 3’s Stourbridge Women FC. A tense game went to penalties where goalkeeper Ellie-Mae Locke stepped up with 2 crucial saves to book her side’s place in the 3rd round. This saw drawn against Championship side Blackburn Rover Ladies and bowing out with a respectable 4-0 loss demonstrates that Harriers are capable of competing at the very top level.

Standout players

Their incredible success this season can be attributed to their squad of highly talented players, many of whom have experience playing in Tier 3 and 4. For example, former West Brom Women and Stourbridge Women winger Mill Rogers has been a key player this year. Her prolific goal scoring form that saw her bag 19 goals in 16 appearances and pick up the Manager’s player of the season award. Her goals will be crucial as the Harriers look to make their mark on the Tier 4 season.

Another key player for them has been experienced midfielder Amber Lawrence, who has previously had spells at Stourbridge and Aston Villa Women. This season, her tricky footwork and strong leadership skills has seen her be named captain. In a tight league campaign, which saw the title go down to the final day, her experience has often been the difference.

Their excellent defensive record can be partly attributed to excellent young keeper Ellie-Mae Locke. The shot-stopper, who joined the club on a dual registration from Sporting Khalsa Women, has had an excellent season seeing her side claim the best defensive record in the league. She also impressed in the Adobe Women’s FA Cup where she stepped up to make 2 crucial penalty saves against Tier 3 opposition Stourbridge Women.

Focus on youth

As well as an array of experienced players like Amber Lawrence and Dionne Mckee, Harriers also have some promising youth players to keep an eye on. Grace Rogers, the sister of tricky forward Mill Rogers, has put in some promising performances this season and is undoubtedly a player to watch out for.

As well as that, the tenacious and versatile teenager Ruby Hill has been a force to be reckoned with this season and her spirited performances saw her rewarded with club player of the year. Another young player to keep an eye on is Eloise Harris whose eye for goal has seen her grab 8 goals so far this season. As well as scoring goals, she has also turned provider several times and has racked up an impressive assist tally.

Club as a whole

Ahead of this season, the Harriers underwent a big rehaul which saw former manager Matt Guise named as the club’s head of football. He brought in former Stourbridge manager Andy Fisher who brought with him several players he had already worked with at Stourbridge like Alex Nicklin and Mill Rogers.

As the side look forward to the season ahead, they will be moving ground to Droitwich Spa FC whilst their current ground, COSE undergoes work. With a mix of experience and youth, Harriers are ready to make their mark on the National League and if this season is anything to go by, they will be a team to watch out for!

Matt Guise Corner:

Kidderminster Harriers Women head of football sat down to give us an exclusive say on their 24/25 campaign and plans for the future

What has your standout moment been this season?

Matt says: With us having such a good season, it is so difficult to pinpoint just one standout moment. I think one standout moment has to be beating Stourbridge in the FA Cup. Not only was there a lot of history between players and management, there was a great atmosphere with nearly 800 fans at the Aggborough Stadium. Then to top it all off, we won on penalties which helped us progress to the furthest stage the club has ever reached!

What has changed at the club since you became head of women’s football?

Matt says: A lot has changed since I stepped in. When I first started as a manager (before the 23/24 campaign), our main ambition was simply to stay in Tier 5 as we only had 4 players at preseason 3 weeks before the start of the campaign. Not only did we manage to stay up, we also helped to build a great pathway thanks to Brandon and Harry’s excellent work. This year, we exceeded our aim of a top three finish and this has allowed us to bring forward some of the development plans both for our ground and for the club behind the scenes.

Great backing from the club has allowed us to do some great stuff including the start of our full time u18s college programme. Overall, I think the outlook for the female and junior girls section looks massively different from 2 years ago, and that’s down to the huge amount of hard work from both the club and the coaches to make Harriers the name it deserves in female football from ladies through to juniors.

Ambitions for next season?

Matt says: Our main ambition is to keep doing the right things on and off the pitch - this season has seen us put a lot into both the first team and the pathway beneath the first team. From only having 3 youth teams the previous year, we have massively expanded and now boast 7 youth teams who have all been enormously successful this season. For the first team, we would love to secure a mid table finish in Tier 4, retain the county cup, and it would be great if we could get another good FA Cup run!